Christina's Butter Chicken, Squash & Spinach Stew

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees fan.
2. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out seeds and lay on a baking tray, little drizzle of oil and season with salt & pepper, pop in the hot oven for 30 – 45 mins until soft.
3. Whilst the squash is roasting make the marinade by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl and then place in a plastic bag with the chicken and rub together until the chicken has taken on all of the mixture. Place in fridge for 30 mins (you can also do this the day before).
4. Once the squash is soft, take out of the oven and set aside to cool a little.
5. Chop the onions, heat a dash oil in a iron casserole pot – add onions and stir until nice and brown and mushy.
6. Scoop out flesh from the squash and add to the onions.
7. Add the marinated chicken thighs (and any residual marinade) add the chicken stock and mix together (add a dash of water to just cover if needed, but no too much).
8. Slowly heat.
9. Wilt the whole bag of spinach down a little in another pan (in batches if needed) and add to the pot.
10. Put on the lid and place in the middle of the oven... turn oven down to 150 degrees fan and cook for 2 hours (longer if you can) until the chicken falls apart in the melted flavorsome butternut squash mixture.
11. Serve with brown rice and a crusty buttered roll.
12. Once cooled, portion into Thermos food flask sized portions into freezer bags and freeze until needed. I simply take out the night before a hike and heat up in the morning to fill my food flask, sometimes I add rice (cooked the night before) pop it in my rucksack to take out and enjoy... usually on the summit of a mountain in Snowdonia.